Applied Research
by inthenightside
Summary: Another fill for masskink - Shepard is still new to her LI's culture and way of treating relationships and therefore gets some advice from another human-turian couple before applying that newfound knowledge in that tryst before the Omega 4 relay.
1. Chapter 1

Original prompt from the kinkmeme was

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><p><em><em>So we all know that cross-species relationships are rare, except for with Asari.<br>So what if one day Sheperd sees a couple; a human and the same Species that Shep's lover is. Or maybe one of the couple spots them.  
>Anyways. Shep is still new to Lover's cultureway of treating relationships and sex. And somehow (s)he ends up hanging with this other couple, and ends up asking the human of the pair for tips.  
>Personally, I'd prefer FemShepGarrus, but I'd love to read anyone's ideas for any pairing.__

_Bonus' for:_  
><em>Learning you only need to worry about allergic reactions in certain cituations, not all sex with Dextro-DNA's. Ex) Just normal penetration sex is fine, but ingestion? Nonono! Or meds that reduce allergic reaction (The news mentioned meds that make people able to eat each other's foods, same concept right?), have fun with it.<em>

_Secret/odd erogenous zones._

_References to the chat with Mordin and the forwarded advice booklets._  
><em>Questions that embarass oneboth parties._

_Having this happen before Shep's had sex with their lover, and being warned that the intimite anatomy of their lover is rather different. ("It looks scary and spiky, but its soft, don't worry.")_

_Extra bonus for Shep bringing it up to their lover at some point._

- So, well, I tried. Not really sure it is any good, but maybe it will amuse someone.

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><p>The Presidium garden was quiet and almost peaceful during what the Citadel's cycle tentatively dubbed nighttime.<br>In this case, the ambient lights were way down, and there were even less visitors around than during the daytime. In fact, the only moving creature Shepard had encountered was a Keeper, intent on its own unfathomable business.  
>Under normal circumstances she wasn't sure whether she approved of the strict access restrictions to the Presidium, which after all meant that the garden was only accessible to a privileged few who probably did neither deserve nor appreciate it, but at this moment she simply was grateful for some peace and quiet. Sometimes, the Citadel's ambient noise level was making her feel like she couldn't even hear herself think anymore.<p>

That last meeting with the Council just now had gone quite as she had expected; of course they didn't believe her, but they hadn't tried to dissuade her when she'd informed them of her decision to get to the bottom of that problem of the humans that had disappeared from their colonies.  
>She was on her own, but she was still a Spectre. It could have gone worse. She hadn't really expected any help from the Council, anyway. They knew what she was going to do, and that had to be enough.<p>

By all accounts she should be far too busy with all of this to even consider personal problems, but unfortunately it didn't work like that. Her mind kept returning to the problem that her old friend Garrus represented. Or rather, the problem her own reactions to him represented. It wasn't his fault that she wanted more than she should have. Maybe more than he was willing to give. In any case, more than she had any right to ask.  
>She shook her head. No use thinking about that now.<br>The Citadel's lighting system was trying for something between moonlight and starlight here, brighter than stars, but ambient. At least whoever was responsible for the daytime sky simulation had forgone trying to simulate a starry night sky as well. She was glad of that. Simulated clouds were one thing, but an artificial starry sky couldn't be any less than tacky, at least to anyone who had ever seen the real thing.

Her feet took her along paths carefully maintained to look almost natural, into a patch of trees and bushes. It was darker here, the plants casting heavy shadows. This looked like a spot enough out of the way to find some quiet and perhaps do some thinking.

Shepard stepped into a small clearing with a small rare silverleaf tree in the center, then stopped abruptly.  
>Well.<br>It seemed this spot, while remote enough, wasn't as deserted as she had assumed. It was a bit hard to make out the details, with the low light, but there were already two people present.  
>Shepard just got a glimpse of long light, probably blond, hair from one of the two shapes, which at least was a good hint that one was a human. There was a faint chuckle that turned into a slight moan, and from the sound, it was probably a female, and she seemed to be having a good time.<p>

Shepard suppressed a smile, thinking that some things never changed. Good for them. She had no desire to disturb them, so she turned away, retreating back into the darkness between the trees.  
>She almost made it back on the path without being detected when a low snarl from somewhere behind her made her stop in her tracks.<br>That wasn't a sound any human would make, but the tone was vaguely familiar. She turned reflexively to look back. The scene had changed, and there was a turian all right, sitting on the ground, the ambient light reflected off his fringe.  
>He turned his face towards her, and for a second she shrank back, because what she could see of his facial markings was familiar, and for a split second she thought she'd inadvertently stumbled upon Executor Pallin. Then she noted this turian's eyes were a bright yellow. No, she'd never seen that one before.<br>It took her a second to realise that the human was no longer with the turian, and she went into full alert immediately.  
>Instinct told her to step clear from the tree beside her, and she didn't question it.<br>A split second later that decision was reaffirmed as the blond woman appeared at her shoulder. There was something about the way she moved that was both confident and threatening, and that made Shepard reassess the situation. That one was no civilian or diplomat.  
>Shepard went into a defence stance, but held her peace otherwise, waiting. She kept her hands off her weapons for now. Her eyes had adjusted to the gloom well, but even so she couldn't make out much of the human's features.<p>

"Well, well. Twitchy, aren't we?" The woman's voice was deep and quite pleasant, and held a sort of confident amusement.  
>The turian had come up on her other side, too far for Shepard to reach without giving him time to react, close enough to provide support to his partner if necessary. The way those two moved as a team was both surprising and familiar in an uncanny way. And they'd tagged her as potentially dangerous.<br>She nodded slightly at him, acknowledging that she knew what they were doing. Those two were professionals, and used to fighting together.  
>"I didn't mean to disturb you." she said calmly.<p>

"Yes, you just got lost. You are aware that this is a restricted area? And carrying arms on the Citadel is prohibited except for specifically authorised personnel?" the woman asked.

Shepard smiled quickly. "I am, but that doesn't apply to me. I'm a Spectre."

The woman snorted. "Nice try. You certainly look the part", she replied, "but there aren't that many human Spectres around, and only two are women. And I know both of them. So who are you, really?"

"By 'know' she means to say that she beat up one of them, and got in a drinking contest with the other." the turian to Shepard's right supplied helpfully.

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You seriously mean to tell me that that had no further consequences?"

The turian's teeth flashed white as his mandibles twitched into his version of a grin. "The Spectre was too embarrassed that she got her arse handed to her by a single ex-Alliance soldier, so she didn't press any charges." he said.

"She started it, anyway." the woman muttered, defensively.

"The drinking contest was a draw, though." the turian continued.

Despite the careless banter, both of them were completely focused, and Shepard had no doubt they were ready to attack if necessary.  
>Shepard turned her head very slightly to keep him at least in her peripheral vision. "So who are you?"<p>

The human chuckled, as if amused by a private joke. "You really must be new around here. I'm Fisher. He's Nisus. We're with C-sec. And I repeat my question."

C-sec. Somehow she didn't even doubt it. Shepard smiled again. "I already told you. Name's Shepard."

Fisher cursed not quite under her breath. "Oh, I'll be damned."

The turian hesitated for a moment, thinking, then calmly stepped up to Fisher's side, both showing support and no longer actively threatening Shepard.  
>"I believe her." he stated, still sounding amused.<p>

"So do I" Fisher replied absently. "It would just fit our luck, wouldn't it." She stepped back, further into the clearing as she left the cover of the trees, and Shepard got a better look at her. She was tall, with a soldier's built and strong features that weren't conventionally handsome and certainly not pretty, but somehow striking. Even with the low light, Shepard could tell her eyes were a deep blue. It was hard to tell her age, but Shepard'd have given her at least a decade more than herself. She wore a set of standard fatigues, or rather, the lower part of them, and a tight grey top.

The turian had followed her, and he was in a similar state of undress, his upper torso bare, plates gleaming with a dull metallic sheen. His yellow eyes regarded her curiously, but with no hostility or indignation. Shepard was no expert, but he seemed older to her than Garrus, though maybe that was just due to the faint scarring that broke his white markings around his right eye. He definitely was a bit taller than Garrus.

Neither of the two seemed self-conscious in any way.

Shepard shook her head. "As I said, I had no intentions to disturb you. I'll just take my leave."  
>She wasn't able to refrain from giving Nisus a discreetly curious look, but she had better manners than to openly stare. Even if she was severely tempted.<p>

"Wait."

Shepard cocked her head to the side, silently questioning.  
>The two exchanged a glance, then Fisher spoke up again. "There are a lot of rumours about you, about the battle of the Citadel. About Reapers."<p>

Shepard couldn't suppress the grimace at the last word. "Yes, I can imagine there are."

"We'd really like to hear your side of the story." Fisher said. "Because we both were on the Citadel when Sovereign and Saren came to play." Nisus added. "And we stayed for the cleanup, which wasn't pretty at all."  
>"No. Not pretty at all." Fisher agreed meditatively. The two exchanged another glance.<p>

Shepard could believe that. She thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "All right." She wasn't sure whether she wanted to deal with the usual disbelief right now, but then again it might take her mind off her current, minor worries. And who knew, even if they didn't believe her, maybe they'd at least be alert when things started to go really wrong. It might be worth a try, at least.  
>And if they were interested enough to at least delay their planned activities for the sake of hearing her story, she was content to oblige. It wasn't like she was in any real hurry to return to the Normandy.<p>

She followed them back to the middle of the small clearing, under the sole silverleaf tree, where they obviously had set up themselves with a blanket, their discarded clothing piled beside it.  
>Shepard sat down a bit gingerly, and the two C-sec officers took their places opposite her.<br>Fisher leaned forward to dig through their belongings, then retrieved a bottle. She tossed it at Shepard, who caught it in reflex.  
>"Here. We're not completely uncivilised."<p>

Shepard chuckled, uncapped the bottle and took an experimental swig. Whatever it was, it definitely had a kick, and a quite pleasant aftertaste, and it left a nice warmth in her stomach.  
>She returned it to Fisher, who took a quick swallow herself with a cheerful disdain for any potential contagion, then started to speak.<p>

Shepard had to hand it to them, they knew how to listen, though perhaps with their job she shouldn't have been surprised. Cops always knew how to listen. They didn't interrupt much, either.  
>Between her and Fisher, they made short work of the contents of the bottle, and while she was far from being affected by the alcohol, she found she was slowly relaxing a bit.<br>To her own surprise, she even told them what she'd told the Council, what they were going to do as soon as they retrieved that IFF device.  
>When she had finished speaking, she leaned back with a faint sigh, staring gloomily into the artificial sky overhead.<p>

Nisus gave a thoughtful growl. "Sounds crazy." he stated, without any malice.

"Utterly insane." Fisher agreed.

Shepard didn't need to turn her head to know they were looking at each other.

"Odds are it's true, then." the turian continued, unhurriedly.

Fisher snorted. "With our luck, what else would you expect."

That made her turn her head and stare at them. "You believe me?"

The two exchanged glances again, then Fisher shrugged. "I don't think we can afford not to believe it. And you seem rather sensible, on the whole. So, yes. We believe you."

Shepard had to smile at that. "I wish the Council would show that much sense about the whole mess."

Fisher snorted again, and the turian shrugged philosophically. "Nothing to be done about that."

Shepard found herself watching them again. It was almost eerie, like looking into a distorted mirror, but the way those two interacted was so much like Garrus and herself that she couldn't help but be fascinated.  
>Well, of course the similarity ended at certain point. It was clear that they were a lot more than just friends, or even casual lovers.<br>Fisher was leaning against Nisus in a careless, relaxed way, completely unconcerned about their half-dressed state and what any observer might think. Her companion had one arm around her, clawed hand resting lightly against her hip.  
>So it can work, somehow, Shepard thought, feeling strangely comforted. If those two can figure it out, we can. Provided that he even wants to, of course. But it is possible. We could make it work.<p>

Well, she really should be going now, and leave them to their ...activities. She sat up, stretching the muscles in her back.

Fisher suddenly chuckled.

"What's funny?" Shepard asked, startled out of her thoughts.

"I was just thinking that if the rumours had been true, about you being Cerberus or at least of like mindset, I'd have gotten a scandalised 'Really, Fisher, a turian? How can you do this?' out of you by now."

Shepard laughed. "I don't do scandalised well, but if you insist..."

Fisher waved her off, but the turian turned his head, and Shepard felt again that sharp yellow stare.  
>"Just leave off the scandalised tone, then." he rumbled.<p>

Shepard blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

Fisher cocked her head to one side, giving Shepard a quick look.

Shepard met her eyes levelly. She was too old to blush. At least she hoped she was.  
>She was still debating with herself whether to deny whatever the turian implied or make light of it with some humorous comment, when Fisher quirked an eyebrow at her.<br>"I understand it's not a common choice", Shepard remarked, "but don't worry, I won't pry."

The human woman laughed heartily at that, and Nisus flared his mandibles in a quieter display of amusement.  
>"Shepard, no need to be that polite. It's not like we bother to keep this a secret. Or care what anyone thinks, for that matter."<p>

"That's the only way to go", Shepard agreed absently.

Fisher gave her a look. "Oh. So not just idle curiosity, then?"

"Doesn't look like it." the turian commented before Shepard had a chance to reply.

"Hey, I never said .." Shepard tried, then stopped and sighed. She couldn't believe she was actually going to admit this, and faintly wondered what exactly had been in that bottle. "All right. There might be some...personal relevance."

"Well, well, well." Fisher said thoughtfully, then shrugged. "Don't worry, we can keep our mouths shut." She and her partner shared a look, and he slightly nodded as if in reply to some question she'd asked of him. "Right, then. We're not usually in the habit of discussing our personal life like that. Quite the opposite, actually, and after a few black eyes and bruised ribs in our coworkers that point seems to have made it across. But I think in this case an exception is in order. So, feel free to ask. What do you want to know?"

Shepard looked at the artificial sky again. "Oh, I don't even know where to start." She thought about it. Maybe something general..."How can one tell if a turian's even interested?"

There was a rumbling laugh from Nisus, then a clank and a startled grumble as Fisher elbowed him, from the sound of it none too gently. He probably didn't feel much of it, but she absent-mindedly rubbed her elbow. "Oh cut it out, it's not as obvious to a non-turian as you think." Fisher snapped at him, then addressed Shepard again. "What he's trying to say is that turians aren't very subtle about interest."

"Not helpful." Shepard commented gloomily.

"I won't ask who or even too many details" Fisher continued, "but...is it a male or female?"

"Male", Shepard admitted.

"What age?"

That startled Shepard enough to turn her head towards them again. "About my own, I guess. Maybe a bit younger." And what did that say about her, that she didn't even know. She'd never even thought about it.

"Military?"

"Former, at least."

"Under your command, part of your crew?"

"He's my friend." she corrected automatically, then shrugged. "Technically yes, I suppose."

Nisus started to laugh again, and got shut up again with another jab with Fisher's elbow, probably harder this time.  
>"Then it's almost guaranteed that he's interested." Fisher said. "Military means he's probably more than used to the idea of, err, easing stress with fellow soldiers. He's young enough not to be too set in his ways as to not consider any non-turian, and given what you are, you probably just need to drop a hint and that's it."<p>

Shepard raised an eyebrow.

"Confident behaviour and a strong character are automatic turn-ons." Nisus agreed cheerfully. "It's just how we are wired. Add to that that you're a superior fighter and don't back down even from a Reaper, and you got a combination that's really hard to resist."

"Turians as such aren't shy or inhibited about sex either, and as opposed to humans, they don't automatically expect some shared pleasure to mean anything. They don't play complicated games like most of us humans do. So if you're curious about this, just corner him at your convenience, touch him casually and see how he responds to that. If he doesn't move away or find some excuse, you can assume he's interested, and you can proceed to have your wicked ways with him. " Fisher continued matter-of-factly. She smiled quickly. "Worked well for me, at least."

Her partner chuckled. "You wouldn't know how to be subtle anyway." he pointed out. "I wouldn't have expected a human to push me up against the bulkhead in the middle of an argument like that."  
>Fisher didn't seem embarrassed in the least. "I didn't hear you complaining then. Or any other time." Having made her point, she leaned against him again.<p>

Shepard had to smile at that. "I'll just have to take your word for that. That it's not only physically possible but pleasurable, I mean." The words were out before she could rethink, and she bit her lip. No sense in insulting them.

Fisher threw her a questioning glance. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

Well, no way to go but forward. "Um. There's a friend of mine, a Salarian, who suspects something and felt obligated to provide me with ...educational material. Anatomical references...and, well, turian-asari porn." And that was downright scary, she didn't add.

"Oh, ouch." Fisher grimaced.

Nisus flicked his mandibles like she'd seen Garrus do if he tried to get rid of some unpleasant taste or smell. "Yes. Those. I think I know what you mean."

"Right." Fisher started again. "Well, what you have to keep in mind about that is that they're about as representative of turian sexual practises and habits as the humans-only variant is." She grinned wryly. "Which is to say, not very much. You have to remember porn movies are made with the viewer's pleasure in mind, not the participants's, and to satisfy a fantasy, not being a step-by-step instruction or documentary. You can have fun watching them" Nisus twitched his mandibles, very obviously not saying anything, and Fisher rolled her eyes "provided the turian with you isn't busy laughing his arse off because he thinks it's hilarious, which kind of tends to ruin the mood-"  
>"Well, it is!" Nisus defended himself "I mean, really, when you think about it. You do remember that one, where-"<br>Another jab with Fisher's elbow made him shut up again, and Fisher continued as if he hadn't interrupted "and you can get some interesting ideas from them, but you aren't going to learn lovemaking by watching porn." She chuckled. "It's really not representative. Think about it. I don't know about you, but average humans neither have anatomical proportions like that, infinite endurance and seemingly no pain threshold at all, and they don't just randomly enter a room and indiscriminately start shagging everyone in sight like rabbits on Halex either, do they?"

Shepard grinned at that mental picture. "Not normally, I don't think."

"It's the same with that, I suppose. Turians don't play nearly as rough as it's portrayed there."

"At least not once they're adults." Nisus clarified. "Teenagers, they can be a bit...unrestrained, they don't seem to be able to tell the difference between sex and a fight, for a while, and they're eager for both, and then things can get a bit rough." He shrugged. "It's just hormones, and a normal phase in our development. No sensible parent would bother asking their son or daughter about the origins of any suspicious claw or bite marks. And no adult would take it very seriously. By the time they get into military training, they usually are somewhat reasonable again. Your prospective target should be safe enough."

"Um. If you say so." Shepard threw caution to the wind. What the hell, the options were either embarrass herself with two strangers or later on with someone she cared about. The choice on that was clear enough.  
>She looked at Fisher, trying to avoid Nisus' eyes and hoped to hell that she didn't blush.<br>"They really do have spikes, don't they?" She gestured vaguely. "So...how do you avoid injury?"

Fisher just blinked. "Spikes? What do you- oh." She chuckled as she understood what Shepard was getting at."Not really. More like small barbs, and they're not rigid. And they only come into play when a turian man is really close to his limit, so to speak." She chuckled, clearly remembering. "No idea what they do for a turian woman -" she looked at Nisus for help, and he just replied "Exactly what it looks like, to stimulate some nerve centres."  
>His mandibles widened again, as he flashed Shepard a grin. "Evolution has gone differently in that regard in us. As opposed to your species, where pleasure seems more or less optional for the female and has no relevance to conception, a turian female, even when receptive, requires several climaxes to make conception possible. With us, the female of the species is just as strong as the male and they are usually faster. Even in our non-sentient ancestors, trying to overpower the female had to end badly for the male. So since the female's cooperation had to be secured for successful mating, evolution just had to find a way to make it worth her while. Hence certain adaptions." His grin widened. "It's just biology, the insensitive ones never successfully bred and died out. And of course even now that we're sentinent and it's just recreational and not about reproduction, there are some standards that are expected and have to be maintained."<p>

"You can quote evolution theory for all you like, but I'd say it's just that your women have you men trained better." Fisher commented cheerfully. "Not that I'm complaining about that, mind. I think it's very sensible."  
>She looked back at Shepard, clearly amused. "I can tell you with absolute certainty that I'm not into pain, I have known enough human men to be qualified to make comparisons, and I can say with confidence that being with a turian can be very pleasurable. Trust me on that one. Just take your time to get used to each other, and you'll be fine." She smiled. "And before you ask, yes, they do expand a bit once they get going, but no, it's not to the dimensions that you probably saw in those movies. Don't know how they're doing that there, but it's not natural."<p>

"Well, actually, they -" Before Nisus could finish, Fisher had clapped her hands over his mouth, trapping his mandibles against his jaw. "And no, don't feel obligated to enlighten us. Some questions are better left unanswered in order to ensure a good night's sleep."  
>She released him, and he grumbled, but it sounded more amused than anything else.<p>

Shepard filed that away for further reference. "And about allergic reactions to dextro aminos - or the other way round, for that matter?"

"Have yourself checked to see how sensitive you really are." Fisher shrugged. "It's not a problem, for most humans. Most aren't even allergic, but if you are, things can get ugly. You shouldn't be sharing each other's food, of course, but if neither of you has a severe allergy, you won't have any problems in that regard during sex. If you are unlucky enough to be, there are pharmaceuticals available that can be taken as a precaution."

"He'll know whether he's susceptible to that or not." Nisus threw in. "Testing for that is standard practice in our military."

So there was that, Shepard thought. No reason not to go for it, to give it a try. Except the real one, of course.  
>She became aware of Fisher's slight frown.<p>

"You look more worried, not less. What's on your mind?"

Shepard just shook her head. There was no way explaining that one. No way at all.

"Don't push her." Nisus' calm voice rumbled. "She's only just now figured out that she doesn't just want that friend of hers for some fun but for something more permanent."

Shepard whipped her head around to stare him down, something like a snarl on her lips, but her automatic anger drained away at his calm look. He wasn't trying to offend or come over as condescending. He was just making an observation. Unfortunately for her it was a correct one.

"Well, wasn't it obvious?" Fisher wondered. "No one goes through that much trouble and research just because one is curious. If she was just feeling kinky, she could always cruise some bars and snag a similiarily minded turian for some experimentation. Of course she cares for him."

Shepard was still staring at Nisus, who didn't even hesitate in answering his partner. "Humans can be remarkably blind to their own emotions and goals."

Now that stung. Even, or especially, if it was true.  
>And she was even less certain now that she could do this. She wanted him in her bed, not only for the obvious reasons but because that was the way humans did this, the way they did get close to another. She even more wanted him in her life.<br>"Oh, damnit." she said very softly. She had almost convinced herself that this was just easing tension with a good friend, that once she figured out how to do this, technically, things would be fine.  
>She even now didn't quite know what she'd done if she'd really lost him, there on Omega, but the depth of her feelings had scared her even then. Now...if she ruined this, she really wasn't sure about the consequences.<p>

She met Nisus' yellow stare unblinkingly, and he nodded, as if she had made a point. "Word of advice" he said quietly. "Be very sure what it is that you want. And never make a promise you are not certain you can keep, and don't imply one, either."

"What about what he wants?"

"I think that's clear enough. He's still with you, your entanglements with Cerberus withstanding, and he's following where you lead. I assume he knows where you are going."

"Of course he does. But we're trying to save the galaxy here. He might see it as duty."

Nisus twitched his mandibles. "One doesn't exclude the other. I know I wouldn't set foot on a Cerberus ship without a damn good reason."

"Not a Cerberus ship, anymore. It's my ship." Shepard corrected absently

"Precisely." Nisus replied calmly. "Shepard, my kind doesn't do things halfway, and once we're committed to a cause - or a person - then that's that. We very, very rarely change out minds about things like that, and never without a very good reason."

"If it helps, try to see that again from an evolutionary point of view. Humans evolved from omnivorous mammals living in loose groups. That still makes them a bit skittish, playful, curious, easily bored and prone to react stupidly when under pressure. Turians evolved from carnivorous scaly things that lived and hunted in packs, which meant they have some sort of pack discipline hardwired, because that was behaviour needed for survival. A predator that lives in a group can't afford to waste its time with questioning authority all the time. They need to know their place in the group, and they know that the strongest, smartest and best must lead. So they don't challenge for the fun of it, but if they do they mean it."  
>Shepard thew Nisus a quick look, but he didn't seem offended by that analysis.<br>"So, you get tightly knit groups of very social creatures that know they have to work together to keep themselves alive. Now add sentience to that, and you get a species of people who have a strict hierarchical society and are intensely loyal to the group they are a part of, whether that's family or military unit. The downside, of course, is that they tend to be a bit arrogant, opinionated, stubborn, slow to give their trust or to accept new ideas and come with a quick temper." Fisher shrugged. "As long as you don't forget that and expect human reactions you'll be fine."

"In any case, it's really up to you. You're the one of higher rank, so you're in charge, and what happens and how far it goes is your choice."

Shepard shook her head. "No, absolutely not. It can't be that way. I can't possibly order him to -"

"It's not an order." Nisus interrupted, his voice strangely patient. "Not like you think. You certainly have heard before that this is how our society works, that those of lower rank support their superiors in any way they can, and those of higher rank protect and guide those below them and take care of their needs. That's not just fancy theory, it's how we are. Oh, it's not perfect, because whereever there are individuals there's conflict, and a certain degree of selfishness, but on the whole it is just that. Any soldier of ours will know that when he's sent into battle he may very well be sacrificed for the greater good, but only if it's necessary and never for his commanding officer's personal gain. We can trust our own to adhere to that, and it's not something that even needs to be talked about. In the end, it's always about trust." He lowered his head slightly. "That's why you won't see many of my kind following a human's orders, you know. If your friend does, and by his own choice, that's saying everything that needs to be said on the subject. He trusts you."

"That translates to every aspect of their lives." Fisher added. "You are aware that turians are a military society, but what us humans tend to forget is that strictly spoken there simply are no civilians as we understand the term. Military service is mandatory for every one of them, and it's not just lip service. Of course not all of them can stay in active duty, but every adult turian knows how to handle themselves in a fight. In a way, they are all soldiers." She smiled brightly. "I remember some very arrogant merc a couple of years back who was ignorant of this fact and thought he could coerce a turian settler by threatening said settler's wife and children. She was less than impressed, I suppose, because she very nicely first took his rifle off him and then returned it to him. End first, and right into his face. Repeatedly. " Her smile was somewhat bloodthirsty. "It was an inspiring display."

Shepard remembered seeing Garrus in full-out protective mode and nodded. "I know what you mean."

"Yes, I thought you would." Fisher smiled. "Anyway. Nisus is right, as the higher-ranking one of the two of you it really is your choice. And it's not like he can't refuse, of course, so, no, you're not abusing rank here, either. He wouldn't misunderstand that like a human soldier might, anyway. It's cultural difference at work again. Turians don't play power games like this, and any normal and sane adult wouldn't dream of forcing their attentions on someone who doesn't consent to that, so they don't even think about that. No means no, and that's it. They have other hangups. Don't get me started on how they react when something you do goes against some established protocol or rule, regardless of your reasons or the final outcome of your actions." Her expression was wry for a moment, then softened again. " But that kind of abuse of power would be considered criminal and a sign of mental instability anywhere where Hierarchy law is upheld, and the consequences would be severe for the offender."

Shepard sighed, still a bit dubious. "I can see your point. But still..."

"I know. I can see why you worry, but you'll see soon enough that it's not an issue." Fisher leaned against her partner again. "And it won't always have to be that way. This social position imbalance, it evens out after a while. Once you learn how to be equals." She smiled up at Nisus, and he leaned his forehead against hers. Fisher slipped her hand under one of his mandibles, and he gave a low sound that to Shepard's ears sounded suspiciously like a purr.  
>Nisus suddenly pulled away, his mandibles working in a way Shepard again knew from Garrus. That was embarrassment. He threw Shepard a quick look, then broke eye contact and lowered his head.<br>Fisher cleared her throat. "Um. Got carried away here, maybe."

Shepard kept a blank expression. Now, that was odd. They had just spent quite some time giving Shepard the turian version of the birds-and-the-bees-talk, down to the shape and size of a male turian's intimate anatomy, and neither of these two had even batted an eyelid at the topic. Instead, they had rather given her the impression of finding all of that quite amusing. And now that she'd seen them touch foreheads they acted like she had caught them at something highly inappropriate, or at least private.  
>She didn't quite get it, but resolved not to comment.<p>

"Oh, for crying out loud." Fisher muttered. She looked at Shepard again. "It's not what you probably think. Look, Shepard, me and Nisus, we go way back. We've known each other for a long time, and we've been together for a long time, and we will stay together. So that touching foreheads, that's a promise. That he'll never leave. And that touching under one mandible, in that context, that's..." She paused, and Nisus said softly "It means 'I'm sworn to you'. I can't explain further. It's not something meant to be discussed."

"It's fine" Shepard said, just as quietly. "I think I get that one."

"Right." Fisher cleared her throat again, then suddenly shook herself, almost back to her normal self. "Oh, look at me. I'm getting as bad as a turian. Then again, I never was any good at all that emotional stuff."

"I'm not, either." Shepard admitted.

She was interrupted by a soft chime of her omnitool, and with a suppressed curse brought up its holographic interface. With a rather resigned sigh, she scanned the new message. Miranda again, with an endless list of very sensible requests and comments that needed her attention. And of course, it was urgent. It always was.

"Duty calling again?" Fisher asked, sympathy in her voice.

"Duty in the guise of a Cerberus XO. Sorry, I better get back to my ship before she decides I've gotten in trouble and sends an away team."

The two C-sec officers just nodded. "You got your XO. We got Executor Pallin. Hard to say which of us has it worst."

"I know Pallin." Shepard mused. "I'd say it's a draw." She shrugged. "But someday I'd really, really like to hear your story."

The two exchanged glances again, then Nisus said "Not this time, I think. But next time you dock on the Citadel, let us know, and we can find us some slightly disreputable place where we can have a drink or two and swap some stories. Then we'll tell you that one."

"In fact, bring your friend." Fisher added, cheerful again, then winked at Shepard. "We could compare notes." She turned more serious. "No, really, see that you come back in one piece and let us know how that Collector situation turned out. And send word if there's anything we can do to help." "We weren't always C-sec." Nisus said. "There are still some people who know us. Though they probably wish otherwise." They shared a chuckle at what sounded like a private joke.

Shepard nodded, feeling oddly touched by that offer. "Thank you, I will." Her lips quirked into a smile. "And thanks for what you told me. I very much appreciate it. Have fun, then."

"Oh, we will." Fisher assured her cheerfully as she tackled her unresisting partner to the ground.

With a smile, Shepard took her leave then, but once she had left the clearing and was back in the shadows of the trees, something prompted her to look back.

They had, indeed, resumed their previously abandoned activities, and for a second she felt shame for watching from afar. Then reason caught up. They hadn't seemed to be that much in a hurry, and besides, if Nisus' senses were even half as sharp as she knew those of Garrus to be, the turian had to know she still was close by. They just didn't care. They weren't ashamed of what they were to each other, what they did and what everyone else thought about it.  
>And maybe it was even intended as a demonstration. She wouldn't put that past them.<p>

She would have assumed that this act between members of such different species would look bizarre, wrong, but it didn't. It held its own beauty, expressed in the contrast between shiny plate and soft skin, and in a gentle, unhurried rhythm that was nothing like the frenzied rutting she'd viewed in those awful movies. Each touch spoke of deep affection between those two, each motion was perfectly in sync with the other's.  
>That's how it should be, she thought.<br>She had seen enough, seen what she needed to see. Time to leave them to their privacy.

With all the stealth she was capable of using, she slipped back onto the path that would take her out of the gardens.

.

Fisher leaned over her partner. He was purring, and looking quite pleased with himself. She chuckled. "So. That was the famous Commander Shepard. Do you think that made a difference?"

"No." His voice was low. "Not to the final outcome, that was never in question. Might have sped things along, though."

She chuckled again. "True. They'd have figured it out by themselves eventually. She seems sensible enough, after all."

"He seems to be, too, under normal circumstances."

Fisher made an approving sound as Nisus stroked his hand absently over her hip. "So you think you know who she was talking about?"

He gave her an almost insulted look. "Don't you?"

"Well, yes. Not that hard to figure out, after all. They are going to be just fine. Well, then." Her expression turned mischievous. "Is she still around?"

"Can't you tell?"

"No."

"Good. I can, but I won't tell you."

"Why's that?" Fisher asked, surprised.

The turian grinned. "Because if you can't tell you will assume she is, and you'll feel inspired to put on a show. Or more of one, as the case may be." He purred happily. "Which means I win."

Fisher was tempted to cuff his head on general principle, but was swayed from that as he pulled her close again.


	2. Chapter 2

Of course it all went completely different from how Shepard had intended this to go. Her crew was gone, taken by the Collectors, and they were heading for the Omega 4 relay. The chances of surviving that one were slim, and she didn't even want to consider how much less the chances were to recover her crew alive and generally come out of this one alive.  
>Her initial rage had cooled down into icy determination. Probability didn't matter. They had to try, and they would.<p>

This wasn't the right time by anyone's definition to worry about personal problems or make relevant decisions for one's future.  
>And yet...<br>She had made it clear enough to Garrus that she was interested, or at least hoped that she had, although she had been very careful to leave him a way out if he chose to.  
>And she had made it clear that it was his choice, and he had to come to her if and when he was certain.<p>

Part of her was still surprised that he really had come to her room. She was touched by how hard he tried to follow what he considered the human protocol for this, bringing wine and playing music, and how awkward he seemed. Before that certain conversation with two persons who knew about these things, she had been faintly amused at the way he seemed awkward when in anything else he was so confident. Now, she knew better, and it wasn't funny anymore. He was out of his depth, and instinct warred with deeply imprinted social rules. He might have referred to himself as a bad turian, and in a way he was, given that streak of independence that he had, but he was still a turian, and in a situation he didn't know how to handle. Whatever else they were, she was still his commanding officer, and a turian simply didn't pursue someone above his rank like this.  
>Shepard had been bristling at the suggestion that it was her who had to define the way this had to be, but in a sudden flash of insight, she knew that this wasn't about ordering him to do something, but about reassuring him that he wasn't overstepping his bounds.<br>And she should have known by now that he only got nervous like this if it was about something he considered really important, and he was certain he was failing at it. And it was bad enough that he even said so, in a strange, halting tone she'd never heard of him before.

She waited till he had finished. "Relax. This isn't a performance review, you know?" She stepped up to him, and carefully brought a hand up to his scarred mandible, cradling it lightly. He briefly closed his eyes, leaning into her touch.  
>Shepard smiled at him. "Now let me say something for once. This...this isn't at all how I would have planned this." His eyes flew open, and he tried to draw back, but she very gently held on to him, and he didn't resist. "I would have waited for a better moment, waited to give you time if you wanted to reconsider. Wanted to make absolutely sure I'm not pushing you into some direction you don't want. But we're out of time. This is the best thing I can do. I can only offer you now. If you want that, that is."<p>

Garrus stared at her, then just said "I'll never know what you see in me, but if you want me with you, that's where I'll be." To her surprise he suddenly leaned in, and slowly leaned his forehead against hers.

Her breath caught in her throat. She wouldn't have thought that it was that far for him. She had hoped he'd be okay with giving this a chance for something more than this, just easing tension, no strings attached. She had had a certain hope for that, because of some of the remarks he had made.  
>But this...For all he knew, she had no idea what he was just doing. He'd just given a promise, accountable only to himself.<br>She could choose to leave it at that for now, pretend that she had no idea what he'd just done, let this be something they'd figure out later. If there was a later.  
>He deserved better than that.<br>_Never make a promise you aren't certain you can keep_. She heard those words in her mind, in the voice of another, older turian, and just found herself replying. _I'm sure about this_.  
>Almost by itself, her hand came up to his face again, and she traced the outline of his scarred mandible again, then slipped her hand under it, gently cupping the jaw.<p>

For a moment, he relaxed so much he seemed almost melted, a strange sigh coming from his mouth, and that made her smile, then he went rigid. "Shepard..." he said, carefully, then his voice trailed off, as if he had no idea how to ask this question.

She kept contact, and replied softly. "It's all right. I know what it means. I mean it, too."  
>"Oh." His relief was almost a physical force. "Right."<p>

She was just as relieved, to he honest. He understood. That was good enough for now. This wasn't the time for in-depth discussions.

"Now." she said, allowing her voice to become a bit more playful, "I believe there was something you suggested about easing stress?" She ran her hand over his fringe, and he gave a startled sound that turned into a deep, throaty growl as she stroked again over the spines, then lightly ran her fingers over the back of his neck. There was that line of scales that ran from the base of his head down his neck, and those were rigid, but to the left and right of that was softer skin, and that was where she dug her fingernails in, very gently.  
>He arched into her touch, drawing in a sharp breath, and Shepard chuckled slightly. "Seems I'm doing something right" she commented, and he growled again. "Now, how do I get this suit off you?"<br>That got a slight laugh out of him, and he was happy enough to demonstrate.

Their clothes ended up discarded on the way to her bed, and Garrus ended up sprawled on her bed, with her straddling him. Deep down she had wondered whether if it came down to it the alien structure of his body would throw her off, or make her at least pause. There was no doubt in her that she wanted him, but she wasn't foolish enough to confuse imagination with reality.  
>She found it simply didn't come up. It wasn't turians in general she was interested in, it was just Garrus, who happened to be one. His body was unfamiliar, alien, but that was just the way he was. And there was a strange, unexpected beauty in that angular body covered in shiny plates and less shiny hide.<br>She took her time exploring. Reason told her they didn't have much time, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. This wouldn't be rushed. If this was all they would have, then they'd make the most of it.  
>He wasn't shy or awkward now, which only confirmed what she had suspected before: he'd been unsure about what she wanted, and afraid of misunderstanding. But there could be no doubt about her intentions now, and he seemed content to let her take the lead here, too.<p>

She ran her fingers lightly over the inner side of his collar, caressing the softer skin there in a slow motion that made him sigh and stretch in response.  
>"You've done research." he said, softly, and she smiled as he leaned into her touch.<p>

"You know me. Always be sure of your intel and terrain before charging onto the battlefield." she replied, mock-seriously.

That got a chuckle out of him. His hands came up to her waist, tentatively stroking over her skin, and she leaned into him, encouraging.  
>He took that as permission, as it was meant to be, and carefully slid his hands higher, letting them rest on her breasts. His palms were textured with rather flat and flexible scales, and the sensation of that against her skin was unfamiliar but pleasant. Very pleasant, she amended to herself as he stroked over one nipple. He was taking his cues from her reactions, and she had to admit he was a quick learner. Then again, he always had been.<p>

She mapped his body with her hands, keeping her touch light, finding the right spots that made him groan in pleasure.

Very soon, she felt plates underneath her shift, which was exactly the reaction she'd been looking for, and smiled again. He was tense under her, muscles shifting under his plates as he fought for control. She appreciated the thought, but she decided that that restraint really wasn't necessary in this instance and ground herself against him, at the same time tightening her thighs around him. Either that convinced him, or it just broke his fragile control, because Garrus gave a deep growl and pushed against her, entering her in a rather sudden stroke.

Her breath caught for a moment, and she instinctively gripped his collar. It shouldn't have taken her by surprise, but somehow it did, and she needed a moment to process the sudden sensation. Then her body caught up with events, and she shivered as a rush of raw pleasure ran through her. Yes, that decidedly felt very nice.

Garrus growled again, but held still, almost worried for her reaction. She ground against him again, a bit harder this time, and that was clear enough for him. It was difficult to say how exactly, but something in his expression relaxed, and his hands settled around her waist again, holding a bit tighter.  
>The settled into an easy rhythm, and she moaned as she got used to the feel of him. The bit about him expanding a bit apparently was true, and she had to say she fully approved of that.<p>

She leaned over him, bringing her face closer to his as she again reached for the back of his neck. He arched against her, and something in that move brought her into very pleasant contact with a section of ridged plate. It rubbed against her clit in just the right way, and she bit back a gasp.  
>His reply was a deep, quiet rumbling laugh as he pulled her close, which intensified the sensation. That together with the way he held her let her know that he knew exactly what this was doing for her, and he liked that. Well, he'd always been quick to spot tactical advantages, and use them.<p>

She smiled and leaned even closer, her hand coming to rest farther up at the back of his head, just under the spines of his fringe. His skin was soft here, and she gave it a gentle stroke.

Sudden tension gripped his body as he groaned and thrust at her, and that reaction of his translated nicely between species and required no further explanation.  
>Shepard didn't even try to hide her delight at this and continued caressing that patch of soft skin, enjoying the sounds that drew out of him, the way it made him move against her. Experimentally, she put on a bit more pressure, just letting him feel the tips of her fingernails.<p>

He growled, a sound that was so low it was more a vibration through his body than a sound she actually heard, and she felt him tense again, then grow completely still. Then it was her turn to groan slightly, as she felt him shift inside her, and she whimpered as she was quite insistently reminded of that certain feature of his anatomy. Barbs, right. And what she'd been told about that had also been nothing less than the truth. She had been a bit apprehensive about that, to be honest, but apparently she had been worrying needlessly. She slightly rolled her hips, experimentally, and just that tiny move sent pleasant little shocks through her nerves. She gasped, heard him growl again in reply.  
>The knowledge that he was clearly enjoying this was making this even more of a turn-on.<p>

Shepard looked down at him, meeting his eyes. She didn't quite trust her voice right now, but then again they had never needed words to understand each other. Instead, she held his gaze and moved herself sharply against him, tightening her hold on him.  
><em>It's all right. Let go. I got you.<em>

He arched against her, hard, several times and she clung tight. The intensity of it had her almost black out, but she kept hanging on to her own control, urging him on until he finally gave a low snarl and shuddered against her. Different species or not, that was clear enough.  
>Something in that move pushed her over the edge as well, or maybe it was just his expression as he relaxed, tension draining out of him. She buried her face against the inside of his collar, whimpering as her own climax made her convulse against him. Distantly she was aware that she was gripping his collar again and that he was talking to her, encouraging, although she couldn't quite make out the words. Her mind simply seemed to have shortened out and gone blank of anything but sensation. That was okay, though. She knew he had her back.<p>

Eventually, her reason returned. He'd separated from her at some point, but he was still holding her close. Some pointy parts of his chest plates were poking into her skin, but despite that she felt no inclination to move yet.  
>She became aware of a deep, soft sound that was clearly coming from Garrus, and she lifted her head to look at him. "Are you...are you purring?"<p>

His mandibles twitched, a trace of embarrassment, but mostly amusement. "If you want to call it that, then yes. Does that surprise you?"

Actually it had. "I hadn't known you can do that."

He stroked over her back, absently. "I'm not sure how to ask this, and don't take this the wrong way, but how come you know so much about how this is done, and not know that?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, and he hastily continued. "I mean, Mordin did mention he sent some information package to you as well." his mandibles dropped at that memory, and she suppressed a laugh.

"He did. And I assume you got the talk, too. Was yours as bad as mine?"

Garrus shuddered. "I refuse to answer that one. You got the videos, too?"

"Let's never talk about those again."

"Agreed." His expression turned serious again. "So, no, that can't be it. Where did you learn?"

She traced the blue markings on his mandible idly with a thumb. "You were a C-sec officer. Do you really think I'd compromise my sources?"

He gave a startled half-laugh. "No, seriously. I doubt there are many humans about who know about the meaning of certain turian gestures. And there certainly are less turians who'd tell you. So, who did?"

Shepard shook her head, smiling. He returned that smile with a flare of mandibles that probably meant that the question was merely postponed.  
>She slid off him and stretched herself out alongside him. He turned on his side to face her, and after a moment's hesitation he wrapped an arm around her again.<br>They didn't speak, but it was a comfortable silence.

Then the alarm on her bedside table sounded, and she sighed. And just like that, reality had them back. Time to go and make that attempt at being big damn heroes.

She disentangled herself gently from him and sat up, looking at him.  
>"So let me suggest what we'll do." she finally said, and he looked at her expectantly. "We go through with our mission, rescue our crew and add the Collectors to the list of extinct species. Then we jump back, and once we're clear of the relay your assignment will be to report to my quarters for an in-depth discussion of how we're going to do this. And at some point, I expect, we will also review what your own research has yielded, and you will have to be prepared to...defend any thesis you might have. And then we'll go to the Citadel, and you can meet my sources. I'm sure they'll like that." She paused, then shrugged. "Does that agree with you?"<p>

He stared at her, mandibles working in a way she had come to associate with him being stunned. After a few moments he shook his head. "You did the impossible before. Anyone else I would have called crazy, but with you...if anyone can pull this one off, it's you. You got yourself a deal, Shepard."

She smiled, a fierce flash of teeth. "I'll hold you to that."


End file.
